Matthew 5:33-36

REVERENCE FOR THE HOLY NAME

‘Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou … shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all,’ etc.

Matthew 5:33

According to the Quaker view, our Blessed Lord forbids all oaths, whether promissory or evidential, and in her Articles the Church of England is blameworthy in giving her sanction to such oaths.

I. Are all oaths forbidden?—The difficulties of this position are not inconsiderable. If all swearing be forbidden here, the Saviour’s attitude towards the Law of Moses at this point is suddenly changed, and instead of confirming, He proceeds to destroy. Oaths were admitted under the old law. Again, St. Paul repeatedly strengthens his language by formal appeals to the God of truth. ‘God is my witness’ (Romans 1:9). If, then, our Lord is to be understood here as condemning oaths of every kind, He is distinctly at issue with the Law of Moses, and His apostle, by his practice, is as markedly at issue with Him. If, on the other hand, we simply understand the prohibition here to be that of all light and irreverent appeals to the Divine Being, direct or indirect, all difficulty vanishes.

II. The acknowledgment of God.—In the taking of an oath some very solemn and weighty truths are acknowledged by implication. The existence of a personal God: His interference in human affairs: His immutable character as the True and Faithful One, Who loves the true and will avenge the false: His judicial as well as his inquisitorial powers—all this is implied and assented to when a man calls God to witness to the truth of what he is doing or saying; and such an attestation to distinctively religious truth, in connection with certain grave functions of state or of law, is a healthy protest against that growing materialism which every earnest Christian must so deeply deplore.

III. The need of reverence.—On the general question of reverence, it may be observed that Eastern manners admitted, and still admit, of much more frequent allusions to the great Object of worship, which contrast favourably with our shy and meagre acknowledgments of His presence. And now that we appear to be breaking through this reserve to some extent, it would seem that, with clumsy maladroitness, we are doing so at the expense of all true reverence. Christianity is being popularised to-day as it never was before, and in the process is parting with much of its mysterious character; and in some quarters, where this particular phase of it has met with astonishing success, it is not easy for a devotional mind to distinguish between this familiar treatment of the subject and downright profanation. There is a current fashion of speaking of the Redeemer as if He were more of a human friend than a Divine. On many lips the holy and yet purely human name ‘Jesus’ altogether supersedes the name ‘Christ,’ which bespeaks His Divine Messiah ship. An unbecoming familiarity is thus fostered, at times sinking almost to the spirit of patronage.

IV. Reverence in daily life.—The subject touches more nearly the daily lives of most of us at other points. Profanity admits of degrees, and in some of its shapes it gains an all too facile entrance into polite society. Reverence is a tender, delicate plant, and very little may sometimes prove enough to nip it. People will tell us, attitude is quite immaterial in worship. So it may be, if we only have regard to the Hearer; we have, however, some doubts if we consider the suppliant himself. A careless posture not only betokens a careless frame of mind, but induces it. Besides, is it becoming to draw near to the King of kings in a posture which would insult our earthly sovereign? Nothing abject is called for. We draw near with boldness. But if a spotless seraph, as he worships, veils his face with his wings before the throne of heaven, we who worship at the footstool can hardly do less than kneel.

Bishop Alfred Pearson.

Illustrations

(1) ‘Bending over his manuscript in the scriptorium of the monastery, the poet makes his good father pause on coming to the Holy Name. He is writing out a copy of a Gospel:—

“I come again to the Name of the Lord;

Ere I that awful Name record,

That is spoken so lightly among men,

Let me pause a while and wash my pen;

Pure from blemish and blot must it be

When it writes that word of mystery.” ’

(2) ‘That great and good man, the Hon. Robert Boyle, who wrote “Nature’s Reflection”—he was a nobleman, a statesman, and an author—before he ever said the name of God he always made a hush, a pause.’

(3) ‘Two years ago I was on the “Kulm,” i.e. the top, of the Stanserhorn (a mountain near Lucerne), and the view was perfect and all was delightful and one felt in tune with Nature and in touch (if I may reverently say so) with God. Suddenly I heard voices. It was two Americans. One of them began to speak, and he could not admire the beauty around him without taking that sacred Name in vain, that Name at which every knee shall one day bow! A cloud had come over my beauteous scene; the day was spoiled to me.’